Runway rehabilitation project honored for pavement quality

A long-awaited runway and taxiway rehabilitation at the Claremore Regional Airport has been recognized for its pavement quality. The Garver-designed rehabilitation of Runway 18-36 and associated taxiways was recently honored by the Oklahoma Asphalt Pavement Association’s Asphalt Pavement Awards in the Aviation category. The award will be presented during the OAPA awards luncheon Feb. 25 in Norman, Oklahoma.

Garver designed a full-depth reclamation to the airport’s lone runway and adjacent taxiway network, and also provided grant administration, bidding, and construction support services for the rapidly-growing airport. The full-depth reclamation process consisted of recycling the existing bituminous pavement and incorporating asphalt binder and cement to create a strong, flexible base course for the new runway pavement.

Early in the design process, Garver identified that the absence of a base course beneath the existing asphalt pavement had caused severe cracking and accelerated deterioration of the asphalt pavement. Full-depth reclamation was identified as the preferred alternative to full-depth reconstruction due to the reduced construction cost and construction time.

“The key to our project success was drawing on Garver’s vast aviation experience across the country,” said Garver Project Manager Caleb Coltrane. “We were able to incorporate innovative ideas and lessons learned that had been successful in other states, and develop a project approach that is the first of its kind in Oklahoma.”

In order to avoid disruption to airport services, Garver re-striped the taxiway as a temporary runway, and coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure it met requirements to be used as an alternate landing surface. The Claremore Regional Airport is home to a flight school, and the runway rehabilitation is the latest in a series of major improvement projects, including new LED lighting for the entire airfield, and the construction of new taxiways for hangar development.

To learn more about what Garver’s Aviation Team can do for you, visit our Aviation services page.